Illustration & Visual Narrative

24.9.2024 - ??(Week 1- Week ?)

Li Shiqing / 0366582

Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media Digital Illustration & Visual Narrative 

Task 1:

Skeletonous

This beast is an amphibian that inhabits marshes. Its tail, which resembles a bone, gave rise to its name. It can seize its victim with its four powerful tentacles. It can float around fifty centimeters above the ground, however it does have a tail. The body is impervious, like armor. It conceals itself by having skin that resembles that of the forest. The tongue, which resembles a snake, has two eyes and senses temperature. Owing to its comparatively high level of hostility towards humans and other similar animals, several separate protected zones have been established in different locations.

Steps：

1. 

To create eyeballs, experiment with various graphic combinations. I first intended to utilize this as my facial shape, but I abandoned up since I felt it was too commonplace.

2. 

Make your face characteristics and features harshly.

3. 

Creating eyes and selecting hues

4. 

Basic finalization

5. 

Try both full drafts and colors one by one.

6. 

In the end, it was agreed that green would be the theme color, and the head color was changed.

Contour:

Reflection:

I had little to no familiarity with Adobe Illustrator, which presented a big hurdle for me in this work. At first, the complexity of the program was daunting, particularly when it came to putting forms together to create a single, harmonious design. Though I had never truly looked into the resources required to do it myself. Creating my own monster persona for a character seemed especially intimidating.

I soon saw how important it was to become familiar with the many features of the program as I got started with the process. I researched articles online and watched  training videos to progressively increase my own skills. It was eye-opening to learn about different tools and their use; I learned how to properly use layers, apply colors, and alter forms. My comfort level with the interface increased as I practiced more.

Among the most useful things I learned was how to use shortcut keys. In addition to expediting my productivity, these shortcuts gave me a greater sense of control and shorten my time over my designs. I saw that I was growing more productive, which really enhanced the pleasure of the creative process. I had such a great sense of accomplishment when I mastered the software.

Making my monster persona was an original experience. I had a hard time at first trying to picture how I wanted my character to appear in terms of design. But as I got better at blending forms, I started to realize that my concepts had promise. My character began to take shape gradually, and with each addition I made, I felt a feeling of success.

In summary, this encounter imparted to me the significance of tenacity and the need to look for help when confronted with an obstacle. Along with gaining a fresh appreciation for digital art, I also left with a set of abilities that I may use going forward. Although the road wasn't simple, it was definitely gratifying, and I'm excited to use what I've learned in other projects.